Monsters Inc 2: Boo's Back
by Beth C
Summary: What happens when Boo gets trapped in Monstropolis due to a fire in her room? Will Sulley and Mike be able to get her back home or will she be trapped forever? A twist in Chapter 11 will surprise you!!!
1. Default Chapter

Monsters Inc, Boo's Back  
  
By Beth C  
  
*****  
  
Sulley stood before the white door sprinkled with pink flowers, amazement showing on his face. It couldn't be, could it? He had seen the door shredded with his own eyes, yet here it was. "Mike..." he said with a soft voice. "Is that?" He couldn't say it, couldn't believe it.  
  
"Sorry it took so long, pal." Mike held up his splintered and bandaged hands so Sulley could view them. "It was a lot of wood to go through." He paused one second, then continued. "You know it only works if you have every piece."  
  
Sulley lifted the papers off his clipboard and withdrew the last piece of the door that he had taped there so long ago when the door had been shredded. He carefully lined it up and placed it in the hole, pressing it down with one nail until it clicked into place. The door registered as complete and powered up.   
  
Sulley grasped the knob between two fingers and took a breath. It had been a year now since he had last seen Boo. Would she even remember him? He took one last glance at Mike and saw a reassuring smile on his pal's face. Mike had done this for him. Mike had known how unhappy he had been, even though he was now the CEO of Monsters, Inc and the power shortage had been solved. Mike had worked for the year, sifting through the woodpiles, gluing the pieces together one by one.   
  
Sulley turned the knob with determination, and cracked the door, ready to face what was on the other side. Either she would remember him, or she wouldn't. It was that simple. He stuck his head inside the room carefully, not wanting to frighten her if she was inside.   
  
Night was just falling in Boo's world, Sulley could see the remainder of the sunlight glinting off new fallen snow outside her bedroom window. Somewhere in the room he heard the sound of a space heater clicking on, keeping the occupant of the room warm. Her bed was still right across from the door, and he could see someone sleeping in it.   
  
"Boo?" He called out quietly to the form laying on the bed.  
  
Upon hearing his voice the little girl sat up. "Kitty!" Her voice was full of surprise and happiness. She immediately scrambled out of the bed, dragging and discarding the blankets that had been covering her and ran over to him as he took a single step into her room. He didn't see one fall and partially cover the heater in his newfound joy at seeing her again.  
  
"Kitty!" she squealed again and climbed into his arms.  
  
He relaxed and felt his heart lift at having her recognize him so readily. He hugged her close to him, letting her stroke his soft fur with one small hand. Nothing had felt this good for so long. One moment stretched out for eternity as time seemed to stand still.   
  
"Is everything okay?" Came Mike's voice from behind them.   
  
When she heard his voice, Boo pushed herself down from Sulley's embrace and before he could stop her, ran out the door and over to Mike. "Mike Wazowski!" She giggled and hugged her green friend.  
  
Sulley turned around and watched as Mike returned the hug, noticing that his friend had missed her just as much as he himself had. Sulley got his first real good look at Boo now. She had grown a bit taller, her hair was longer, but still in the same two ponytails. She was wearing a purple shirt and pink shorts, and purple socks covered her feet.  
  
"How ya been, kid?" Mike greeted her with one skinny arm still wrapped around Boo.  
  
Boo released Mike and smiled at him. "Missed you!" she said while pointing one chubby finger at his lone eye.  
  
Mike blushed and Sulley could see a deeper green shade his cheeks. "I missed you too, Boo."  
  
Boo turned her attention back to Sulley as he stepped out of her room. He had begun to notice a temperature difference between the Human world and Monster world. Boo's room had seemed uncomfortably hot to him. He closed the door behind him as she jumped in his arms for a second hug, snuggling comfortably into his fur. "Missed Kitty lots."  
  
Sulley blinked away tears of happiness as his heart filled with love for the little girl that had changed his whole world. He owed everything to her.   
  
Mike coughed lightly. He hated to break up the reunion, but he knew if he didn't, Sulley would not let her go. "Sulley, I hate to be the bad guy here..." he trailed off, not voicing the rest.  
  
Sulley broke the hug, holding Boo comfortably in one arm. "I know, Mike." He sighed once knowing that he couldn't keep her here with him, that this reunion was only meant to show him that she had been okay after he had left her. He couldn't help but wish for just a few more minutes with Boo. He looked into her dark eyes. "Boo? You know I've missed you, but it's time for you to go back in your room now."  
  
"No." Her answer was immediately stated as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Stay wif you."  
  
Sulley placed the little girl down and she stood defiantly in front of him. "Boo, you can't."  
  
She did the only thing open to her and grabbed on to one of his legs, wrapping her small body around it tightly. "Can too," she declared with a small pout.  
  
Sulley looked to Mike, his eyebrows raising in surprise. "Can we just let her stay for a little bit?"  
  
Mike shrugged. "It's your decision, Sul. Just don't make a spectacle of it. Maybe just a few minutes more. Even though we know that kids are not toxic, the general public doesn't know yet. Seeing her could still cause another panic. You remember last time, right?"  
  
Sulley looked down to the dark haired toddler and patted her head. "Boo? You can stay for a few minutes, okay?"  
  
Upon hearing that she didn't have to go right back, she released his leg and reached for his hand. "'Kay." She smiled brightly at him. "Go," she insisted tugging at his hand and moving away from her door.  
  
Mike followed the two of them to the far side of the room. Boo had tried to head for the hallway doors, but Sulley had steered her towards a small table that was covered with empty boxes. He brushed them aside with one hand and cleared a space on top of it. Boo climbed up and sat down, indian style, crossing her legs.  
  
Sulley pulled up a chair and waited as Mike did as well. "So, Boo. You can talk now. Right?"  
  
Boo was looking from Mike to Sulley and then the nearly empty room. "Some." She pointed at her chest. "Not Boo."  
  
Sulley realized that they really didn't know her name. It had been on her file that he had never got the chance to see, and by the time he went to find out more about her the file was gone, having been shredded by Roz. "What is your name?" he asked her.  
  
"Karen," she said pronouncing it Kawen.  
  
"That's a pretty name," Mike told her. "As pretty as you are."  
  
Karen put one finger in her mouth, thinking of something. When she removed it she pointed at Sulley with a crestfallen face. "Not Kitty?"  
  
"You can still call me Kitty if you want. However my name is James Sullivan or Sulley." Sulley told her with a small smile. He really liked it when she called him Kitty. No one else would ever call him that, he reserved that only for her.  
  
"Zames Swallvan." She rolled the name over her tongue.  
  
"Not bad. Try Sulley."  
  
"Sullwee." The sound of it made her laugh so she said it again this time with more enthusiasm. "SuuulllWWWEEE!"  
  
Even Mike had to smile at that. "Good job."  
  
Sulley passed the next few minutes with Karen by playing her favorite game with him, hide and go seek. She eagerly hid behind the boxes and would laugh when he found her. Even Mike got in on the game, finding her once or twice. There wasn't many places to hide in the storeroom, so eventually she tired of the game and came to sit on his lap. Sulley remembered that in her world it was way past her bedtime, and time she should be getting home to get some rest.  
  
He hugged her once, and nodded to Mike, who agreed that it was time for her to go. He got up and headed for her door, leaving him alone to say his good-bye to her. "Karen, someday I'll get to sit with you and tell you just how much you mean to me. Right now you need to go back to your room and get some sleep, okay?"  
  
Her small face started to fall at the mention of her room, she buried her face into his chest and he could feel her cold, wet tears hitting his skin. He lifted her chin up with one finger and used his others to wipe her cheeks dry. "I'll come visit you again."  
  
She hiccuped back a sob, "Pwomise?"  
  
"I promise." He stood up now and followed Mike back to her door, keeping one large arm around her.   
  
Mike had already begun to power up the door again when he noticed that as the connection was made between the two worlds an increase in temperature was evident. This had never happened before, something wasn't right. "Uh, Sulley?"  
  
"Yeah, Mike?" Sulley approached the door, and instantly could tell that something was wrong.  
  
"Something's not right here." Mike stated the obvious.  
  
Sulley placed Karen down away from the door. "You stay here. Mike, go stay with her while I check this out." He waited until Mike was over near her then reached for the knob which was now searingly hot. "Mike, you better move back a bit more, this could get dangerous." He called out to those behind him in a sing-song voice.   
  
He couldn't have been more right. When he opened the door to her room, he was forced back by rushing flames and an intense heat. Her room was engulfed in fire, it was burning everything in sight. The flames licked at her curtains, toys, even her bed. Sulley managed to reach for the door, barely able to grab the knob and pull it shut before yanking his hand away in pain. He slammed at the power button with his other hand, deactivating and cutting the connection between the two worlds. The room immediately cooled.  
  
Karen had seen the spectacle and was screaming in terror. "Hot! Hot! No! Mommy!" The lights in the room flickered wildly. She grabbed on to the first available thing which was Mike's leg.  
  
Sulley bent down and scooped up the frightened child, bringing her tear-stained face to rest on his shoulder. "Shh-shh," he soothed trying to calm her down.  
  
She clung tightly to his fur, sobbing harder but screaming less. Sulley began to rock her from side to side looking in bewilderment at Mike.   
  
"Stay here, Sulley." Mike said as he headed out to the main Laugh Floor. Sulley continued to rock and comfort the girl until she finally sobbed herself to sleep in his arms. Mike returned a few minutes later with one of the company blankets. Sulley took it from him and draped it over the sleeping girl. "Mike what are we going to do now? I'm sure her parents must be worried about her."  
  
Mike thought for a moment. "I don't know, Sul. It seems we have a knack for getting ourselves into situations that have never been handled before."  
  
Sulley shifted her weight a bit until she was no longer hanging over his shoulder but now resting in the crook of his arm. "We are going to be noticed missing soon."  
  
"Why don't you just take her home for now, Sul?" Mike suggested. "I'll go distract everyone and you can take the back way out. I'll meet you at home once my shift is over and we can work out something then."  
  
"I think that may be the best thing," Sulley agreed. "Take my clipboard back to my desk and if anyone asks, I left because I didn't feel well. Tell them it was something I ate." Sulley reached over and covered Karen completely up so no one could see what he would be leaving the building with, especially Roz or Celia.  
  
"Ok, pal. Good luck." Mike picked up the clipboard and walked out to the Laugh Floor, making a big commotion and drawing everyone's attention. Sulley waited until the coast was clear and sneaked down the halls. He made it out the back way and carried his precious cargo home.  
  
*****  
  
That's the first chapter... Chapter 2 will be up soon! 


	2. Later that night

*****  
  
Mike returned to the apartment after a difficult day at the factory. After Sulley had left, Mike had fielded questions from the other monsters about where the CEO had disappears to. No one had seen him leave, and a few were suspicious, as Sulley had been fine all morning.   
  
Mike had the added challenge of having to finish his shift by continuing to make the kids laugh. All he had on his mind was Karen's face at seeing her room burning up, and her clinging to his skinny leg. It was difficult to be funny in the face of such tragedy.   
  
He closed the apartment door and placed his lunchbox and Sulley's down on a nearby table. Sulley was in his new chair that had been bought to replace the one they had cut up to make Boo's costume last time. Karen was sound asleep in his arms. "Hey, Sul," he greeted. "How's she doing?"  
  
"Not so good, Mike." Sulley shifted his legs which were beginning to get cramped from sitting so long. "I got her back here without anyone noticing, but she has been crying off and on all afternoon. She will only sleep if I hold her."  
  
"Sulley, that has been about 6 hours now!" Mike pointed out.  
  
"I don't mind." To tell the truth, he would hold her all night if need be. It was the least he could do for her. He looked down at her face as she made a whimpering noise. Poor thing was scared even in her sleep. He adjusted the blanket and she settled back down, her hands twining in his fur. "Mike what are we going to do now?"  
  
Mike went to sit at his desk. "Well, we definitely can't take her back to her room." He picked up a pencil and began doodling on a piece of paper. "She can't stay here for long either. It's only a matter of time before someone finds out."  
  
"We need to find out more about her, maybe we can take her back to another relative's house," Sulley suggested, as always thinking ahead.  
  
"Not a bad idea, but just where are we going to get this information? Her files have been shredded or did you forget?" Mike chewed the end of the pencil.   
  
"I guess I'll have to be the one to get it. I'll go back to her room and see what I can find that hasn't yet been burnt." Sulley carefully extracted Karen's fingers from her viselike grip. He would be bald if she kept pulling like that.  
  
Mike gasped and dropped the pencil. "Sulley! You can't go into her world and go poking around! What if you are seen?"  
  
"It's a chance I'll have to take." He reached down and pulled the lever to recline his chair.   
  
"Are you planning on sleeping in that chair?" Mike got up and tossed the pencil back on the desk as he made his way around to the front of the chair to face Sulley.  
  
"I might as well. She isn't going to sleep without me." Sulley turned slightly, trying to find a comfortable spot.  
  
Mike left the room, then returned with Sulley's pillow and comforter from his bed. "Well, if you insist in sleeping there, at least uses these." He placed the pillow under Sulley's head and covered his friend up. "It's supposed to get cool tonight."  
  
"Thanks, Mike." Sulley could feel himself starting to fall asleep. It had been a tiring day.  
  
Mike patted his friend's arm through the heavy covering. "Anytime, pal. I'm gonna go fix something to eat. You want anything?"  
  
"No, Mike." Sulley half yawned the reply. "I can't eat. I can't think of anything except how horrible this all is." He sighed then yawned again.   
  
"Well get some rest, big guy. We will sort this all out tomorrow." Mike left the room, clicking off the light as he went.  
  
***** 


	3. Middle of the night

*****  
  
Sulley was sound asleep, dreaming of Karen and flames. He was being chased by fire and tried to outrun the building heat but it was gaining on him, burning his fur while he tried to protect Karen from the flames. He heard her screaming, crying, frightened as the flames grew higher and higher...  
  
He woke from the nightmare to find her clinging to him in fear, tears rolling down her face as her screams grew louder and louder. The lights in his apartment were wavering with each breath she took.  
  
"NO! MOMMY! MOMMEE! HOT! HOT!" She called out as she sobbed.  
  
Sulley tried to wake her from the nightmare. "Karen? Wake up! Karen?"  
  
She began to kick her feet, trying to run away from her horror. They banged into Sulley's chest and arm repeatedly.  
  
"Karen!" Sulley called out again, sure that his neighbors would soon notice the problem with his lights as if she kept it up, the problem with theirs as well.  
  
Mike came out of his room after hearing the commotion. "What's going on out here?" He rubbed at his one eye sleepily. "It's the middle of the night."  
  
Sulley used one hand to hold her kicking feet still. "I don't know, Mike. She won't wake up." She began to wriggle now trying to free her trapped body.  
  
"Did you call her name?" Mike asked.  
  
"A couple of times. She's not listening to me!" Sulley winced as she now began pounding him with her tiny fists. Her cries were now loud enough that the whole apartment building lit up and began to flicker.  
  
"Try 'Boo'. She might respond to that." Mike suggested while covering his ears with his hands.   
  
"Boo? Boo, wake up. It's Kitty. Wake up, Boo." Sulley shook her as he called.  
  
Hearing the familiar name in his soft voice she quieted down and took in a few breaths of air before opening her eyes. "K-k-Kitty?" A few more tears continued to trickle down her cheeks.  
  
"Yes, Boo, it's Kitty." He soothed. "You are here with me."  
  
Karen looked around the room as if expecting it to burst into flames any second. "No hot?" She pressed her small body tightly against his, burying her face in his shoulder.  
  
"No, Boo. There is no fire here. You are safe with me." He rubbed her back until he felt her relax.  
  
Mike had snapped one of the lights on. Karen blinked until her eyes adjusted. She watched as Mike reached above the mantle and took down his teddy bear. He brought it over to the little girl. "You can hold him, Boo."  
  
She took the bear and clutched it to her chest while watching him warily.  
  
"I'm not going to take him from you this time." Mike assured her. "Go on, hug him. He'll make you feel better."  
  
She popped one thumb in her mouth while hugging the bear tightly. Mike smiled upon watching her. Sulley looked at the interaction between the two of them, surprised. He had never seen Mike so giving to anyone, except maybe Celia. He was about to make a comment when Karen's tummy rumbled loudly.   
  
"Is something wrong, Boo?" Sulley asked gently not wanting to scare her any more.  
  
"Hungry." As if to prove her point, her stomach rumbled again.  
  
Sulley grinned. "Yes, you are." He sat up, pushing in the bottom part of his chair with his feet and placing Karen in the nest created by the pillow and blanket. She whimpered once as he moved away.  
  
Mike moved close to the chair. "He'll be right back, Karen."  
  
"No."  
  
"No?" Mike looked confused. Sulley stopped in mid-step.  
  
"No." She said again. "No Kawen."  
  
"No Karen?" Mike echoed her again.  
  
"Boo." She stated clearly.  
  
"I think she wants to be called Boo while she is here." Sulley clarified as he walked into the kitchen.  
  
"Oh." Mike sat down next to Boo while she laid back on the pillow and pulled the blanket up to her chin. He began rubbing her back as he had seen Sulley do and began humming a tune from a lullaby that his mother used to sing to him. She clutched the bear tightly to her chest and continued to suck at her thumb.  
  
When Sulley returned from the kitchen with a sandwich and a glass of milk he found Boo sound asleep and Mike curled up next to her. He brought the food back to the kitchen then came back and clicked off the light. He didn't want to leave her, yet now there was no place for him to sleep without disturbing her. She needed her rest.  
  
He patted the top of her head gently then went to his room. He got a spare blanket and pillow out of the closet and laid down on his bed. Fighting sleep, yet totally drained, he tossed and turned a few times before finally falling into restless sleep.  
  
***** 


	4. Hunting for Boo

*****  
  
Sulley awoke late the next morning. The clock on the bedside table read 11:30 am. He jumped up in alarm, then remembered with relief that today was a weekend and he didn't have to run to work. He was just passing a hand over his face when he remembered the previous night. He better check on Boo.  
  
He found Mike still asleep, curled up in a ball on the floor, part of the blanket draped over him. Boo was not in the chair. Mike's bear lay discarded on the floor. Sulley quickly checked the rest of the house, starting with Mike's room, the bathroom (after knocking), and the kitchen. The last room he checked was his room. Still no sign of Boo. Now he began to panic. Where could she be?  
  
He roused Mike with a shake. "Mike? Wake up. Boo's gone!"  
  
Mike bolted up faster than Sulley had ever seen him move. "Have you checked all the rooms?"  
  
"Yes, Mike. She's not here."  
  
"We'd better find her before someone else does." Mike scrambled out the door and down the stairs checking all the hallways on the way down. Sulley was right on his heels. They made it to the ground floor in record time. Mike went in one direction while Sulley went in the other.  
  
They looked up and down every street for three blocks before returning to their apartment discouraged. "No sign of her, Sul." Mike reported.  
  
"Well, if anyone did see her, the CDA would be here so we can rule out that she has been noticed." Sulley said as he trudged up the stairs. They reached the apartment and Sulley collapsed into his chair, face in his hands. "Oh, Mike."  
  
Mike watched Sulley and his feelings mirrored his friend's. Monster world was no place for a child, especially a lost and frightened one. He was on the verge of saying something to comfort his friend when a slight noise came to his ears.  
  
Mike left Sulley to go investigate. The sound had come from the back of the apartment. He opened each door checking everything carefully. He finally entered Sulley's room when it came again. A slight tap and a tiny giggle. Mike traced the sound to Sulley's large closet and opened the door. There in the corner of the closet was Boo draped in Sulley's business ties.   
  
"Sul?" Mike called out to the other room.  
  
"Yeah Mike?" Sulley's despondent voice called back.  
  
"Did you check your closet?" Mike watched and Boo added another tie to the others already around her neck.  
  
Sulley entered the bedroom ready to argue with Mike but changed his mind when he saw Mike smiling in front of the closet door. He stuck his head inside and exclaimed. "Boo!"  
  
The little girl giggled. "Pretty!" She picked one of the ties and carried it over to Sulley. "Pretty Kitty!"  
  
"Boo, didn't I tell you not to run away from me?" Sulley scolded trying to sound stern, but having relief flood his voice instead.   
  
"Not run." Boo explained, seeing how Sulley was looking cross at her. "Kitty sleep, Mike sleep. Boo look." She pointed to the pile to ties now strewn all over the closet floor. "Find pretty."  
  
Sulley nodded. "You have to stay where we can see you, Boo." He took the ties from around her next and tossed them back into the closet. He would have to hang them all back up later. "Are you hungry?"  
  
Boo started to get sad at the loss of her playthings, but the mention of food had her immediately turning towards the living room. "Yum-yum."  
  
"You could have saved us a lot of running around for nothing." Mike stated bluntly. "Next time check the closet."  
  
Sulley rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. "I didn't think of it." Mike scowled at him for a reply. "Honest," Sulley added. They both left the room to find Boo running around in circles making a 'yum-yum' sound.  
  
Sulley went and got a bowl of cereal for Boo while Mike made himself a sandwich. Sulley got a sandwich as well, but found he could do little more than nibble at it. He wasn't really hungry.  
  
Boo ate her food pretty quickly, getting some of it on the floor, which Sulley had to go clean up. She handed the bowl to him. "Done."  
  
"Good girl." Sulley said. "Are you still hungry? Do you want any more?"  
  
Boo shook her head no. Mike had finished his sandwich and brought over the crayons and paper that she had used last time. "Here, kid. Why don't you color for a bit?"  
  
Boo took both and sat down on the floor, singing quietly to herself in her small voice.  
  
Mike looked over to Sulley's unfinished sandwich. "Sul, you're not eating," he observed.  
  
"I'm not really hungry." Sulley stated as he took his mostly untouched plate back to the kitchen where he disposed of the remains in the trash. He quickly washed up the dishes and placed them in the rack to dry. "I'm worried about her, Mike."  
  
"What do you think we should do now?" Mike asked while watching Boo pick up a green crayon and draw a circle on the paper.  
  
"Now I need to go back to the factory and get back to her room to get more information on her."  
  
"Agreed." Mike turned his attention back to Sulley. "But what are we going to do with HER? We can't take her back to the factory without another costume, and I'm NOT letting you destroy another chair to make one." Mike stressed while crossing his arms. "The mess last time took forever to clean up."  
  
"You could stay here with her," Sulley suggested.  
  
"Absolutely NOT." Mike shook his head. "No way, out of the question, no."  
  
"Why not?" Sulley asked, looking past Mike to see Boo exchange the green crayon for a blue one. "All you have to do is keep her quiet."  
  
"Do I look like a baby-sitter to you?" Mike argued, letting his voice rise in anger.   
  
"Well, I can stay with her if you want to be the one to check her house out." Sulley countered calmly. "Either way, one of us has to go."  
  
Mike looked from Boo to Sulley trying to figure a way out. Either way he was going to be stuck with something he didn't like. "Alright. I'm not going in her house. But you better be very careful when you do not to be seen. It could cause more of a stir in her world than she did in ours."  
  
"So you agree to stay here with her?" Sulley repeated, knowing he had won this argument.   
  
"Do I have much choice?" Mike shot back. "Don't be gone long, just get in, get the information and come right back."  
  
Boo interrupted them by holding up her latest drawing. Sulley was on one side of a purple little girl with Mike on the other. Both were holding her hands. She had drawn small red hearts around the three of them. "Lookit."  
  
Mike stared at the drawing in astonishment. No one had ever taken the time to draw him before. Mike went over to her. She handed the picture up to him. "Yours."  
  
"Thank you." Mike said softly as he took the picture from her.  
  
"You can handle her just fine." Sulley said but Mike wasn't really listening. He eased his way towards the door. "I'll be back real soon."  
  
Mike didn't even notice when Sulley left. He was too busy coloring with Boo on the papers strewn on the floor.  
  
***** 


	5. Exploring Boo's house

*****  
  
Sulley entered Monsters Inc through the main lobby which was mostly deserted on the weekend. The few monsters that were working were already on their Laugh Floors. The lunch break was already over, so Sulley didn't have to worry about being asked too many questions.   
  
He had almost made it to the storeroom when he heard Celia's voice behind him. "Sulley-wulley, where is Googly-bear?" She asked him, referring to his missing sidekick.  
  
"Um, Celia," he hedged. "Mike's running a few errands for me. He'll be by later." Sulley hated lying, but if everything went as planned, they would be taking Boo home and Mike could be the one to explain to Celia. Mike was better at talking to women.   
  
"Errands? What kind of errands?" Celia looked at him with both confusion and suspicion. "Aren't you supposed to be sick? What are you doing here?"  
  
"Uh, he's shopping, mainly. Getting some food." Sulley answered her first question quickly. "And getting his car washed." She might buy that, he thought. Everyone knew how much Mike loved his car. He never stopped bragging about it. "I'm feeling better, so I thought I'd go over the paperwork Mike left me yesterday." He started backing down the hallway, "I'd better get to it or listen to Roz. I'll catch you later Celia."  
  
She continued to stare after him until he turned completely away from her. Something about this wasn't right. She decided to call their apartment on her next break. Maybe Mike could clear this up. Sulley was rarely seen without Mike, unless it was a date that her Googly-bear had planned.  
  
Once Celia was gone, Sulley slipped into the storeroom that held Boo's door. He checked a clock on the wall. It would be early morning in Boo's world. He would have to be extra careful not to be seen. Or trapped. Mike wouldn't be here to monitor things from this side and if the power cut out, he would be stuck. No one ever worked alone, for the thought of getting trapped in the human world was the worst banishment any monster could think of. Sometimes Sulley still felt guilty about trapping Randall, it had been hard to explain to everyone without having his own guilt rise up.  
  
True, Randall could return someday, he just would have to find a working door, and the timing would be critical. He often wondered how Randall was surviving, and wished that it hadn't been his own hand that had sent Randall out. It really hadn't been his place to be the judge and jury, but in the heat of the moment, it had been the easiest solution. Henry J. Waternoose had been sentenced to life in prison for his crimes against the children of the human world. Randall should have shared a cell right beside his former boss. Sulley had to comfort himself with the fact that he possibly had spared Randall a life of humdrum boredom behind bars. At least this way, Randall was still free. It was a fitting punishment for the crime. Now Randall would have to deal with humans on a daily basis. Maybe he would learn something on his way back to Monster world. There was always that hope.  
  
Sulley's hand trembled with anxiety as he reached for the power button. No monster had ever entered human world during the daytime. He pressed the button down and the door powered up, filling his body with fear as the light glowed a bright red. He thought of Boo, and her crying for her mother. He had to be brave for Boo. He had to do this for her.  
  
He opened the door and stuck his head in. Boo's room was a blackened, soggy, burnt mess. The room was filled with the sickening stench of smoke and charred plastic. What little was left in the room was soaked with water, making puddles on the floor. Her bed had collapsed, leaving only the springs from the mattress and some splintered wood. Her teddy bear was missing a leg and part of it's face was burnt off.  
  
Sulley felt his heart hang low as he surveyed the damage. He stepped into the room and left the door open a crack instead of closing it the way he normally would. He wanted to make sure the connection between the two worlds was not severed. His brief inspection of the room had already informed him that the information he would be seeking would not be found in this room.   
  
He would have to do something that had never been done before. He would have to leave a child's bedroom to explore the rest of the house. If going into Boo's room unassisted scared him, exploring the rest of the house terrified him. He didn't even want to consider the consequences if he was observed.  
  
He moved to Boo's bedroom door, avoiding as much of the mess as was possible. The last thing he needed was to track wet footprints behind him. He listened for any sounds by cracking the door a bit. Silence greeted him. He cautiously looked out, his heart pounding. He could almost hear the echo in the empty room.  
  
Nobody was there. The house was deserted. He opened the door wider and stepped out into the hallway and saw why. The fire had spread into the hallway and partially into the other rooms. Photos that had been hung on the wall were melted and warped from the heat, the glass frames sticking to the picture and distorting the faces within. Burn marks were evident everywhere.  
  
He moved past the hallway and the melted faces to find the main living area. It surprised him that the house was pretty much the same as any other in monster world, having bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen and a living room. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but it just seemed kind of odd that humans would have a lifestyle the same as the monsters.   
  
He quickly scanned the living area, looking for anything to help him find out more about Karen and her family. He spotted a desk in one corner of the room and headed towards it. He was almost to it when he heard a sound that made his heart stop. It was the sound of a key in a lock. Someone was coming home.  
  
He panicked, glancing hastily around the room for a place to hide. The only thing he found was a coat closet barely big enough for him to squeeze inside. He opened the door and squished his bulk behind the coats and tried to close the door as he heard the front door click open. The closet door would not shut all the way, not with his body inside, so he held the knob and pulled the door shut as much as possible. He hoped no one would be needing to put away a jacket.   
  
The front door finally opened and Sulley heard voices, faint and indistinguishable at first but growing louder and more clear as they entered the room. One was unmistakably female, the other male.  
  
"Why are you making me do this?" the woman called out tearfully. "I can't stand to be here now that she's gone!"  
  
"I don't believe them, Laura. If she had died in that fire, there would be some sort of proof." the male voice stated in a firm tone. "Her body or some shred of it would still be there."  
  
Sulley heard the woman sob loudly. "She was your daughter, Alan! How can you talk like that? Doesn't it bother you at all?"  
  
Sulley brought his eye close to the crack in the door. He could see a young couple. The woman looked a lot like an older version of Boo, her hair was long and dark, but the eyes were the same. She held a crumpled tissue in one hand and what appeared to be a doll in the other. She kept touching the doll's face then wiping away her tears with the tissue.   
  
The man had shorter hair, lighter brown in color and blue eyes. Eyes that Sulley could tell held determination. "Of course, honey. I miss her as much as you do. But I will find out what really happened." He put one arm protectively around the woman. "I have to do this, Laura. I owe it to her, and to you. You stay here and I will go check her room."  
  
Sulley gasped silently. He had left Boo's closet door open and the power was still on! Her father would discover Monster world! Sulley was sure his heart had just stopped for a beat or two. He then began to tremble with anxiety. The only thing worse than a child in Monster world was an adult! He would be single-handedly responsible for the worst catastrophe to ever his Monstropolis.  
  
He had to do something, and fast. Something before Boo's father walked into her room, and discovered the world behind the closet door. He had to stop this imminent disaster, but how?  
  
***** 


	6. Mike & Sulley's dilemmas

*****  
  
While Sulley was busy warding off fate in the Human world, Mike was busy having problems of his own. Boo had tired of coloring and he couldn't get her to sit still long enough to be interested in any of his DVD's. To top it all off, the phone kept ringing. He let the answering machine take the calls, only to find out it was Celia. His Schmoosie-poo was looking for him and with each phone call she kept getting madder and madder.   
  
Mike finally got Boo to lay down for a nap in Sulley's bed, telling her Kitty would be right back, and told her a story. Before he was finished, she was fast asleep.  
  
He left Sulley's room and made it into the living room just as the phone started ringing again. Not wanting the noise to wake Boo, he answered it, knowing it would be Celia.  
  
He wasn't disappointed. "Michael Wazowski, where have you been?" Her tone was hurt and angry.  
  
"Schmoosie-poo," he greeted her with her nickname. "I've been busy," he hedged an answer. It wasn't a lie, not really.  
  
"All day? I've called around and no one's seen you at all. It's another woman, isn't it?" she accused him angrily.  
  
"Celia, no," he tried to explain but she wouldn't let him speak.  
  
"Fine, Michael. You can have her. We are through, do you understand? I'm not speaking to you any more!" She yelled then slammed the phone down in his ear.  
  
Mike sighed as he hung up the phone. Normally he would go to her and explain and soothe her. However he could not leave Boo alone to tend to Celia's hurt feelings. He knew from experience that the only way to deal with her would be face to face, calling her back would not help.  
  
Where in the world was Sulley? It shouldn't have taken this long to grab some information on Boo. What if he had gotten caught? How would Mike know? Nobody knew that Sulley was even making a trip to the Human world. Mike began to worry and pace the floor. How much more time would he have to let pass before he should begin to panic?   
  
*****  
  
Sulley watched helplessly as Boo's father got up and started to leave the room. Once the man had vanished from Sulley's view, he began to worry. He didn't have a clue how to stop him, or what should be done. He was at his wit's end.  
  
It didn't help matters that the dust in the closet tickled his nose and throat. He was in danger of coughing or sneezing and giving himself away. Sulley pressed his free hand tightly against his nose and mouth as he held his breath. Boo's father made it as far as the hallway before a knock at the front door brought him back to the main part of the house.  
  
"Officer Burke, come in, please." Sulley overheard the loudly spoken greeting. He slowly let out the breath he had been holding, but the itchy sensation didn't fade, it started to grow stronger. He wasn't going to be able to hold it back much longer. He took another shallow breath and held it.  
  
"I would prefer to speak to you and your wife outside." A gruff male voice replied to Alan's greeting.  
  
Boo's mother got up and Sulley saw his chance to escape. He didn't have the time now to examine anything. He slipped out of the closet as soon as the room was clear, inadvertently bumping his side on the door latch. He shut the door quietly and stepped softly down the hall to Boo's room, still holding his breath, his eyes watering from the effort. He wanted nothing more right now than to be back safe in Monster world.  
  
He made it to her room, and over to the closet, relief filling his body as he heard footsteps and muffled conversation behind him. He opened the closet door, crossed over then closed the door, just as Boo's bedroom door opened. With a big sigh, he reached over and cut the power to the door. As he let out the breath his body released the held-back sneeze. "HAH-ET-SHOO!"  
  
It echoed loudly in the small room. He sniffed and rubbed one finger under his nose, trying to wipe away the lingering tickle and the remaining dust. He sneezed once more, this time a bit more quietly, before he was able to breathe normally again. Now disappointment filled him. He hadn't been able to find out anything about Boo, other than her parent's first names and the fact they thought she had perished in the fire.  
  
It had been too close of a call. He could not chance going back there again. Dejected, he turned and left the room, aiming for home and to tell Mike that once again, he had failed.  
  
***** 


	7. Losing Mike

*****  
  
Mike was beyond worry at this point. Sulley had been gone for over four hours. It shouldn't have taken more than one hour, travel time to and from work included. Something had to have gone wrong was all he could think of.  
  
A knock at the door had him jumping in fear. He wasn't expecting any company. He quickly closed the door to Sulley's room after checking to make sure Boo was still asleep.  
  
He answered the door to find Celia, angry as can be, standing there. "Michael Wazowski, we need to talk." She declared without any hesitation.  
  
"Smoos-"  
  
"Don't you start with those nicknames," she said as she pushed past him into the apartment.  
  
"But -" he started again.  
  
"If you don't want to see me anymore, why don't you just come out and say it, instead of lying to me?" Celia spat at him in fury, trying to blink back a single tear in her eye.  
  
"I didn't lie to you." He reached for her hand but she pulled it away, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"Then explain to me why Sulley said -" she didn't get a chance to finish as the apartment door opened and a dejected Sulley walked in. She looked to him and frowned.  
  
He looked at Celia, her angry stance, then to Mike and his face which held both worry, concern and confusion. "Oh."  
  
Mike crossed his arms and Celia advanced towards him, the snakes on her head hissing madly. "Sulley this has gone on long enough. Why did you lie to me today? What is going on here? I want the truth."  
  
Sulley grimaced as he looked from one to the other. He wasn't sure how much to tell Celia, or how well she could keep a secret. Then he remembered how much help she was the last time that Boo was around. He owed it to Mike to smooth this over. "Truth? Well, Celia, you see..."  
  
A sharp yell and a single spoken word from the back of the apartment cut him off. "Kitty!"  
  
Both Mike and Sulley turned towards the bedroom just as the door opened and Boo walked out. She stared at them, rubbing her eyes and clutching Mike's bear tightly.   
  
Celia was the first to react, she screamed once. "She's back!" Trying to get away, she stumbled and fell, landing badly on her behind.  
  
Sulley offered a hand to help her up. "Yes, Celia, she's back." He helped Celia over to his chair and shushed her with a single hand held up. "Before you start a panic, let me tell you what happened this time."  
  
As she sat and listened to his brief explanation, Boo had walked over to him and asked to be picked up. Sulley automatically put his arms out and she climbed inside. "Now the real reason I was at work today was to find out a way to take her home."  
  
Mike had been standing quietly, watching the interaction between his friend and his girlfriend. Now he interrupted, eager to know what had transpired to keep Sulley away for so long. "What did you find out?"  
  
"Very little. Her parents first names and the fact they are very sad that she is missing." Again he briefly explained what had happened. "So, Celia, please don't be angry at Mike. He was only trying to help me."  
  
Celia looked down at her hands. "I'm sorry for doubting you, Googley-bear." She looked back up at him.  
  
"It's alright, Schmoosie-poo." He smiled at her as she reached over and pulled him close, placing a kiss on his face which he eagerly returned.  
  
"Alright, break it up you two. There is a child present." Sulley interrupted them before they really got started.  
  
They broke apart. "So now what do we do?" Mike asked the question that had been foremost on Sulley's mind since leaving Monsters Inc.  
  
"The only think I can think of." He sighed now, knowing that what he was about to suggest would earn him more than disapproval from his friends. It could even mean his exile. "I'm going to have to bring her back personally."  
  
Mike's jaw dropped. "SULLEY! You don't mean to let her parents SEE you?"  
  
"That's exactly what I mean," Sulley stated calmly. He had thought this over and over again. There just was no other solution this time.   
  
"But, but you can't do that!" Mike declared. "You'll be banished!"  
  
"What other choice do we have?" Sulley looked down at the little girl who was watching everything with interest. "She needs to go home. Her parents need her."  
  
"Well there has to be another way." Mike stated while pacing the room and Celia watched. "We can not let them see you."  
  
"There is no other way." Sulley argued. "I'm not just going to put her in a room and hope she finds her parents. The only way to make sure she is safe is to take her back regardless of the consequences."  
  
"Think about what you are saying," Celia interrupted. "This could ruin the company."  
  
"The company survived one mishap," Sulley reminded them. "And it's doing better than before."  
  
"We got lucky, Sulley." Mike stated. "It could just have easily gone the other way."  
  
"This is the right thing to do." Sulley put Boo down and walked to Mike's DVD collection. He selected one at random, about a monster with superpowers that has to save Monstropolis and put it in the player. Boo sat in front of the TV quietly. Sulley turned back to Mike and Celia. "I have to do what is right for her."  
  
"It may seem right to you, but what about the rest of us? Is it right to condemn the factory if this leaks out?" Mike argued right back.  
  
"You weren't there, Mike." Sulley countered, his voice rising in pitch to match Mike's. "You didn't see how heartbroken they were."   
  
"Are they more important than everything that we have worked so hard to accomplish this past year?" Mike nearly fell over as Celia grabbed his arm as he paced past her. He was now beginning to regret having worked so hard to put that door back together. As much as he liked Boo, all she seemed to do was cause trouble when she was around. She was always coming in between his friendship with Sulley. "You did this once before, Sul. Don't make the same mistake again."  
  
"I can't help it, Mike. She is more important than anything to me." Sulley answered while lowering his voice to just above a whisper.  
  
Mike stood silently, unable to reply. Those last words seemed to echo in the now quiet room. The hurt that filled him now was incredibly huge. The first time Sulley had done this, it had been understandable as Boo was in danger from Randall. This time there was no danger and Sulley was once again forsaking their friendship for that child. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He couldn't find words at all.  
  
Sulley watched Mike's reaction. Now that the words were said, he couldn't take them back. "Mike..."  
  
Mike closed his mouth then turned and walked to his room, closing the door behind him.  
  
"Sulley," Celia said after watching the two of them argue. "You've just hurt your best friend. You should be ashamed of yourself." She got up and walked over to Mike's door. She knocked gently. "Googley-bear? Are you alright?"  
  
No response.  
  
She knocked again. "Mike, please open the door."  
  
Thirty seconds passed before he did open the door. He came out, carrying a small suitcase. "Come, Celia. Let's go."  
  
He took her hand and walked down the hall, past a shocked Sulley and over to the front door.  
  
"Mike, please, don't do this." Sulley said while looking into Mike's eye. "We need to talk this out."  
  
Boo had lost interest in the TV and was now watching the two friends. She stuck her thumb in her mouth and waited.   
  
Mike looked at Boo's small, trusting face. "You take care, kid. I hope you get back home safe."  
  
Celia opened the door. "Are you sure about this?"  
  
Mike glanced over to Sulley one final time. "There is nothing left to talk about, Sul. Good luck in your quest to destroy everything." He took Celia's hand. "I've never been more sure of anything."  
  
"Mike..." Sulley tried again but this time Mike was gone. He had closed the door behind him with a solid click.   
  
"Well, Boo, I guess we are on our own now." Sulley went to sit in his chair. "Boy did I really make a mess of things this time."  
  
Boo picked up Mike's teddy. "Mike Wazowski?"  
  
Sulley sighed, not sure how to explain this to a child. "No, Honey. Uncle Mike won't be coming back."  
  
Boo looked to the door and then to the bear. "No Mike?"   
  
"No Mike." Sulley repeated solemnly.   
  
Boo began to cry.  
  
***** 


	8. Back to Work

*****  
  
It had been a week now. A whole week of trying to get Boo home and not being able to. Each time he snuck her into the factory and to her door, no one was home in her house. It was maddeningly frustrating. He had no way of knowing when her parents would come back. All he could do was keep trying.  
  
He had begun to feel the weight and responsibility of raising a child. Boo needed clean clothes and constant washing. Sulley had started to sneak into little girls rooms at night and borrow clothing for Boo. He also borrowed a Halloween costume of a strange monster that he found in one little boy's room. He had Boo wear that, and she was more easily accepted as another monster on his trips to and from work.   
  
Boo had seen the costume and at first had been frightened of it, but after Sulley convinced her that it was just another thing to wear like her last costume she had here in Monster world, she would put it on, anxious to please Sulley. While he was working, she stayed in his office playing with toys that Sulley would sneak out of the rooms. He began to feel like a common criminal with all the recent borrowing he had been doing.  
  
He had to admit, she was well-behaved this time, listening to what he told her to do, and not causing any mischief. Still the stress of trying to get her home and taking care of her night and day on top of keeping the company running was wearing on him. He had a hard time sleeping at night, and the days were no better. Boo slept now in Mike's old room and Sulley kept a night light on for her. Still there were times she would wake up from a nightmare and insist on crawling into his bed. Sulley would wait until she fell asleep before carefully carrying her back to her bed.   
  
He saw Mike at work, at his station like always, but Mike would ignore him, doing his job perfectly well, however he wouldn't even give Sulley the time of day. The other monsters noticed the tension between the once best friends but no one said anything about it. No one was willing to step up and question the new CEO about his personal life.  
  
What was once a fun job, now turned into a chore. Work began to pile up on his desk into large stacks of unsigned reports. Sulley would look at them and sigh. He had no patience for paperwork, no time to read over every report, sometimes giving most just a cursory glance before signing his name without knowing what he had just signed.  
  
Today was no different from any other day this week. Sulley was finishing up his inspection of the Laugh Floors, checking each for proper safety procedures and the total laugh energy collected. As he finished Laugh Floor F, he had to pass Mike's station. Mike was just coming out of the room, the canister attached to the door filled completely as laughter poured out of the door. Mike closed the door and cut the power then turned around to find Sulley watching him.  
  
He walked past Sulley and over to his desk to sign the folder of the child he had just finished with without saying a word. Then he walked back to the door and pressed the eject button to send the door back to the vault. He noticed Sulley still waiting and wished that he would leave. It was hard enough coming to work each day, harder still to know Sulley was down the hall, yet he couldn't bring himself to talk to his once best friend. The words Sulley had spoken still stung even now.  
  
Sulley waited another minute to see if Mike was going to say anything at all but Mike just returned to his desk and selected another folder from the stack and took out the card key. He began reading from the folder, totally ignoring Sulley.  
  
Sulley sighed lightly, then turned and walked away. He didn't know how to breech the growing gap with Mike. He realized sadly that Mike had no intention of patching things up between them. He looked down at his clipboard as he walked away. He didn't want any of the other monsters to stop and talk to him, so he pretended to be busy, he just wanted to be alone now.  
  
George Sanderson had been watching from his own station. The furry orange and yellow monster considered both Mike and Sulley to be his friends. He didn't know what had happened between the two of them, but he did know cruelty when he saw it. He just had to say something this time. He approached Mike's station cautiously. Mike looked up as George approached.  
  
"Heya George," Mike greeted him warmly. "How's the jokes going? Any good laughs lately?"  
  
"A few," George replied. "Mike, why did you just do that to Sulley? I think he just wanted to talk."  
  
"I know what he wanted, George." Mike said as he replaced the folder on his desk. "And I would appreciate it if you didn't butt in." He picked up the microphone from the desk and headed towards the station. He slid the card key and waited patiently for his door to be called up from the vault.  
  
"Look at him, Mike." George insisted. "He's miserable. Everyone can see it although we pretend not to."  
  
Mike looked down the hall and watched Sulley practically dragging his body towards his office. Gone were the days of happy merriment for his fuzzy friend. Sulley looked like someone had just died, his shoulders drooped and his head was hanging down. He looked neither left nor right and acknowledged no one.  
  
"Oh man, he is depressed." Mike said quietly as his door finally arrived and settled into the station.   
  
"After all you guys have been through, can't you find it in yourself to sit down and talk to him?" George patted Mike's arm. "You've been best buddies since forever it seems."  
  
Mike wanted to run after Sulley and apologize. That was what had happened last time. He couldn't find it in his heart to forgive Sulley again. This time, Sulley would have to make the move. Sulley would have to apologize for putting that child before their friendship.   
  
"I can't, George." Mike said as he returned the card key to the folder. "Don't ask me to explain, but I just can't." He still stared after Sulley's retreating form.  
  
"Well, I'm here if you need to talk." George said as he returned to his station. "Just remember, he is your best friend."  
  
"Was." Mike corrected sternly. "And thanks, I appreciate it." Sulley now turned the corner and vanished from Mike's view. Mike started back towards his door, trying to think up a good comedy routine for this child. He removed the filled laugh canister and replaced it with a new one. He was just preparing to power up the door when a very loud crashing sound came from where Sulley had gone.  
  
Mike gasped and dropped everything and ran towards the main entrance to the laugh floor, pushing past the other monsters that were also racing to see what had happened. He rounded the corner, nearly falling over in his haste. He found Sulley buried under a mountain of filled laugh canisters that were being brought off the floor. The monster that had been carrying them was also buried.   
  
Everyone began moving the very heavy canisters off the two helpless monsters. Mike pitched in with a strength he didn't know he had, just grabbing and heaving the large canisters towards any open arms or tentacles. "Sul?" He asked the still form that was being extracted. "Are you alright? Can you hear me?" He passed over another canister.  
  
Mike heard a groan for a reply. He began to worry that Sulley was seriously hurt. The other monster now was freed and was being checked for injuries. "Sul, if you can hear me, please say something."  
  
Another groan, this one sounded painful. "Don't move, Sul." Mike cautioned as the last canister was lifted. Sulley was laying still, but pain was etched on his face. "Where does it hurt?"  
  
Sulley blinked once, and focused his eyes on the lime green orb in front of him. "My arm." Sully gasped through clenched teeth.   
  
Mike turned and yelled towards the dispatch office. "We need a medic over here. Sulley's hurt." He turned back to find Sully sitting up, and cradling his right arm. He was trying to stand but the pain kept him down. A crowd of monsters now circled Sulley, most with concerned faces, all of them fearing something serious had happened to their new CEO.   
  
"Alright, everyone, break it up. Back to your stations. I'll stay with him." Mike dismissed the crowd with a wave of his hand. Bad enough that Sulley was hurt, to have a bunch of witnesses to this incident was not going to help Sulley much.  
  
"Gotta get-" Sulley huffed, screwing his face up as he tried again to stand.  
  
"Don't get up, Sul." Mike said again, his voice full of nothing but concern for his friend. His anger was forgotten for now, all he cared about was making sure Sulley didn't hurt himself any worse. "The medics will be here in a moment. Don't try to move, you could hurt yourself even more."  
  
"Boo." Sulley said as he tried to get up. This time he managed to regain his balance. "Can't leave her alone." He winced again and gritted his teeth as he took a step.   
  
"Don't worry about her, Sul. I'll go check on her if you want." Mike looked around for the medics. Where the heck were they? Sulley would be long gone by the time they arrived. "Right now, we need to get you taken care of."  
  
"I'll be fine." Sulley growled. He didn't need anyone babying him, least of all Mike. Mike was only being nice to him because of this, Sulley thought. Why do I have to get hurt to have him care? "Don't want you-" he panted, "to bother- with me." He continued walking towards his office.  
  
Mike ran to keep up with Sulley's long steps. "Sul, for goodness sakes will you hear me out?"  
  
Sulley stopped so abruptly that Mike ran full force into one of his furry legs. "Ow."  
  
"What did you say?" Sulley was still cradling his arm tightly to his chest.  
  
Mike walked around to face Sulley. "I said I need you to hear me out."  
  
Sulley shook his head. "You're just being nice to me because of this." He pointed to his injured arm.   
  
That's when it hit Mike. Sulley was hurting in more ways that just physically. Mike's cruel treatment of Sulley in the past week had widened the rift between them. "But Sul..."  
  
"Go back to your station, Mike." Sulley ordered. "I'll manage this on my own."  
  
Mike turned and started toward the Laugh floor but only made it a few steps before he turned back. "No, Sulley. I'm not going back. I'm staying right here with you until the medics show up and I know you're going to be okay."  
  
"So you can ignore me again?" Sulley shot the words out before he realized what he was saying.  
  
"I'm trying to make an effort here, the least you can do is not slap me down each time I try." Mike hollered in anger. Why was it that Sulley could easily infuriate him?   
  
Sulley bit back his next words, noticing how angry Mike was getting. He took one deep breath, released it, then took another. "Look, Mike," he began once he was sure his own temper was under control. "I'm going to be fine. Just go back to work, alright?"  
  
Mike tried to protest, but Sulley would hear no more on the subject. The medics where coming on the scene now, so Mike waved them over to where Sulley was now retreating to his office. They caught up to him and began examining him.  
  
Mike tried to stay close but Sulley kept shooting him looks that said he would rather be alone right now. Once he was sure Sulley was being taken care of, Mike returned to his station with a heavy heart. Mixed feelings filled him, feelings of worry, concern, hurt, and yes, shame. He was ashamed that it had taken Sulley getting hurt to make him realize just how much he missed and needed his best friend in his life. Now that he knew, he wasn't sure Sulley would let him back.   
  
He was barely able to finish his shift, getting only 3 out of the 12 kids rooms he visited to laugh. Once the buzzer sounded to end the shift, Mike cleaned up his area, filed his paperwork with a very shocked and surprised Roz, then headed off to Sulley's office to see if he could be of any assistance.  
  
***** 


	9. Returning home and making up

*****  
  
Sulley lay back in his chair, his feet propped up on the footrest, watching the evening news. Boo was already in bed, sleeping soundly after Sulley had brought her home and fed her. He was more than tired tonight, yet he couldn't unwind enough to fall asleep.  
  
He hoped the monotony of the news would be enough to keep his mind off the pain in his arm. He watched a few reports about local news and was settling in to the boring weather report as drowsiness overtook him. His eyes slid shut as he rested his head against the seat. Ahhh... this felt good.   
  
A light knock at the door roused him just enough to crack open one eye. "Come in," he called out. He wasn't inclined to get up at the moment. Whoever it was could open the door themselves.  
  
The door opened slowly and Mike walked in, his arms full of bags. He kicked the door shut with one foot, slowly making his way into the living room.  
  
Upon seeing who his guest was, Sulley retracted the footrest of his chair back down and sat up fully. "Mike? What are you doing here?"  
  
Mike placed a few of the bags down so he could see. "Don't get up." Once his hands were free, he got a good look at Sulley. Sulley's right arm was in a sling, cradled close to his chest. "Oh, Sul. Is it-?"  
  
Sulley shook his head. "No, it's not broken, just sprained. I'm going to be in the sling for about a week." He pointed towards all the bags with his good hand. "What is all that stuff?"  
  
"Well, I stopped by your office after my shift was over, but you were already gone."  
  
"Wait a minute, why were you going to my office?"  
  
"To see you, of course. To make sure that you were alright." Mike lifted one of the bags. "Seeing how you weren't there, I stopped by a few places to get you a few things I thought you might be needing."  
  
"I don't need anything, Mike." Sulley protested, then let out a huge yawn. "Well, nothing except some sleep."  
  
"Then go to bed." Mike stated as he picked up the bags and headed towards the kitchen. He began unpacking them and putting the contents away. Sulley could see glimpses of different foods, some that he knew to be safe for Boo.   
  
Sulley clicked off the TV. One of the things he had discovered was that most of the food in Monster world was not safe for Boo to eat. He had to do some serious research that first day back at work to find out what was safe. It seemed that Mike had also been researching the same things. Sulley was a little bit impressed that Mike had gone through the trouble. He also noticed some food that was not from Monster world, and he wondered just what Mike had been up to.  
  
Mike looked out into the living room to find Sulley staring at him. "Sul. Go to bed." Mike pointed in the general area of the bedroom. "Go. Shoo. Scat. Get." He made a shooing gesture with both hands.  
  
"Mike," Sulley objected, getting up from the chair and entering the kitchen, only to be blocked by Mike's disapproving look. "Mike," he said again as he was herded back into the living room. "You shouldn't be here."  
  
"Are you..." Mike hesitated, holding the last bag in one hand as he swallowed nervously. "Are you telling me to leave?" He let the bag fall from his hand onto the carpeted floor.  
  
"Sulley retrieved the bag and brought it to the kitchen. "No, I didn't say that." He put the bag on the counter and turned to face Mike. "What is it that you want from me?"  
  
Mike traced an imaginary line on the carpet in front of him with one foot. He bit his lip to keep from saying anything he didn't really mean. What did he want from Sulley? He didn't know how to answer that.  
  
"Mike?" Sulley questioned again after receiving no reply. He had never seen Mike so reserved before.   
  
Mike shrugged, his small shoulders going up and down. "I would like us to be friends again."  
  
Sulley put away the remainder of the food, some in the refrigerator, some in the cabinets. Mike had picked out a good selection. Sulley then disposed of the bags in the trash. "It's not that simple..."  
  
"No, of course not. Nothing is ever simple with you." Mike cut into Sulley's sentence with biting sarcasm. "You always make even the easiest things difficult."  
  
If one thing Sulley had learned from all his years of living with Mike, it was how to argue and answer the sarcasm. "Oh?" Sulley shot right back. "It seems that is your job, not mine. If you had only filed your paperwork so long ago, things would be different now." Right after he said it, he realized that meant he never would have met Boo either.  
  
"Whoa. Don't blame this all on me!" Mike marched right up to Sulley and stared him in the face. "This is..."  
  
"Over." Sulley declared clearly. "I think you should go, Mike. We are not accomplishing anything here." He winced once, the pain from his arm overwhelming his tired body.  
  
"Look, Sul, I'm sorry. I don't want to argue with you. That's not why I came over." Mike apologized as his worry increased over Sulley's obvious distress. Here he was fighting again when all he wanted to do was ease Sulley's pain.  
  
Sulley walked past Mike, heading towards the bedroom. "Look, Mike, I'm too tired and in too much pain to go through this right now. "I'm going to bed. You know the way out." He opened the bedroom door and stepped inside, leaving a stunned Mike staring after him.  
  
The door opened again after a few seconds and Sulley poked his head out. "Maybe we can talk more tomorrow. And thanks for the food, Mike. It really is appreciated."   
  
"Anytime," Mike whispered as the door closed once again.  
  
* * * * *   
  
Sulley awoke the next morning after a restless night of tossing and turning, unable to find a comfortable position to stay in. No matter which way he turned, somehow he pressed on his injured arm and had to bite back cries of pain. He had let out a few whimpers when it had gotten really bad, but nothing loud enough to wake Boo.  
  
What had awoken him was the smell of frying meat and the sound of sizzling eggs. His mind was cloudy with sleep as he pushed the covers off and got out of bed, his one arm still pressed tightly to his chest.  
  
He found Boo siting in Mike's chair, happily munching away on her breakfast and watching Saturday morning Globtoons on the TV. "Kitty!" she crowed happily.  
  
"Hi, Boo." He patted her on the head and rubbed his bleary eyes as he walked into the kitchen. He found Mike in front of the stove, flipping over a set of eggs that were sizzling nicely in a frying pan.  
  
"Hey, Sleepyhead," Mike greeted him as he added two pieces of freshly cooked and sliced meat to an empty plate nearby. "I thought you were going to sleep all morning. You woke up just in time. Yours is almost done." He flipped the eggs once more then added them to the plate. He finished up by adding a biscuit then laid a fork across the plate and handed it to Sulley. "Voila! Breakfast is served." He announced with a flourish.  
  
Sulley stared down at the plate. "Mike, you didn't have to do this."  
  
Mike reached over and cracked two new eggs into the skillet and added two more pieces of meat. "That's right. I didn't." He expertly began to fiddle with the cooking food. "But I did because I wanted to. Now you are going to sit in your chair and eat."  
  
"Did you stay here all night?" Sulley asked as he opted to eat at the kitchen table instead of his chair. He put his plate down and inhaled the smell of the food steaming in front of him. It smelled so good, he hadn't realized how hungry he really was until the smell made his mouth water. "This smells delicious." He informed Mike.  
  
"Wait until you taste it." Mike answered as he brought over a glass of freshly squeezed juice and placed it in front of Sulley. "Today's meal is a combination of food from the Human and Monster worlds combined. If she's going to try food in our world, I thought the least we could do was try the food from hers." Mike went to get his own plate of food, now done cooking. He came back and pointed out the items. "We have sausage patties, fresh from the Human world, eggs from the Luka bird here, my mother's homemade biscuits, and orange juice from freshly picked oranges in the Human world." He made a show of picking up an unsqueezed orange and rolling it up and down his skinny arms like a basketball. "All prepared with my expert touch."   
  
Sulley picked up his fork and tried to cut the meat with the side of it, but he was having a hard time. Mike noticed, picked up a knife off the table and borrowed Sulley's fork. "Oops, sorry." He cut the meat into bite sized pieces, then handed the fork back to Sulley. "Now try."  
  
Sulley speared a piece and took his first bite. After he chewed and swallowed, he looked at Mike. "It tastes better than it smells. This is great."  
  
Mike returned to his seat and began eating his own food. "I told you it was."   
  
"Hey, you never answered me before." Sulley remarked between bites.  
  
"I didn't?" Mike replied looking confused.  
  
"I asked if you stayed here all night."   
  
Mike stopped eating and pretended to be interested in the remains of the biscuit on his plate. "Oh yeah, you did."   
  
"Well?" Sulley prompted.  
  
Mike gave up the pretense of eating. "Yeah, I did."  
  
Sulley raised his eyebrows. "Why didn't you go back to Celia's?"  
  
Mike finished the last of the food on his plate then got up an brought his dishes to the sink. "I couldn't."  
  
"Why not? Did the two of you fight again?"  
  
Mike shook his head and began washing the plate. "She has her sister over this week, and there was no room for me." He admitted, keeping his back to Sulley. "She was the one who suggested that I come over and try to patch things up with you."  
  
Sulley joined Mike by the sink, bringing over his own empty dishes. "Why didn't you just say that last night?"  
  
Mike took the dishes and added them to the sudsy water. "If I recall correctly, I don't either one of us was in the mood to discuss much last night."  
  
Sulley went to get the pans off the stove as Mike now rinsed the dishes and placed them in the rack to dry. "Where did you sleep?" He knew Boo had been in Mike's bed and hadn't awoken.  
  
Mike took the pans and began washing them too. "On your chair. I hope you didn't mind."  
  
Sulley sighed. "Of course not, Mike." He had been doing some serious thinking last night, when he wasn't sleeping. Mike was right about a lot of things lately that Sulley was now just beginning to realize. Sulley had been so preoccupied with Boo, that he had been ignoring Mike's suggestions. The past week had been very difficult without Mike's help and the coming week didn't look any more promising. He needed Mike.  
  
He waited until Mike was done with the dishes before he spoke up again. He wanted Mike's full attention. When he was sure he had it, he began. "Mike, listen to me. I have been doing a lot of thinking about recent events."  
  
"Meaning Boo?" Mike asked.  
  
"Well, Boo, and you, and me. The whole situation." Sulley clarified. "I want to apologize to you. I've been treating you very badly. This whole situation is very difficult for me. You know I love that little girl out in the other room, and I'd do anything for her."  
  
Mike started to interrupt but Sulley shushed him. "What you don't know is that I'd do anything for you as well. Mike, I need you. Especially now." He held up his injured arm a bit. "I'm sorry, Mike. Please come back home. Can you please forgive me?"  
  
Mike stood quietly for a moment, letting Sulley's words sink in. He could tell that his fried was being fully sincere. He took a short breath in, then released it. He chose his next words carefully. "Thank you, Sulley. I do accept your apology and I forgive you." He held out a hand. "Friends again?"  
  
Sulley shook the hand with his good one. "Friends."  
  
Boo chose that moment to bring her plate into the kitchen. "Done," she announced holding up the plate.  
  
Mike took the plate from her. "It looks like you got more on you than in you," he remarked on her sticky face and stained shirt.  
  
She looked down. "Eww."  
  
Sulley grinned at her. "Why don't we get you a bath?" He felt good for the first time since Boo had come back into his life. Having patched things up with Mike really lifted his spirits.  
  
At the mention of a bath, Boo giggled and took off for the bathroom. Sulley shrugged at Mike. "She likes the bubble baths."  
  
Mike had to smile, he was relieved that the tension between them was resolved. He was enjoying Sulley's casual mood now. "Go play in the bubbles." He told Sulley. "I'll finish cleaning up here."  
  
Sulley took off after Boo, a happy smile on his face. He turned around once to call out over his shoulder. "Thanks, Mike. For everything," before he disappeared into the bathroom to wash up Boo.  
  
* * * * * 


	10. Bathtime and a surprise

* * * * *  
  
Mike was just dozing off after cleaning up the kitchen when Sulley finally opened the bathroom door and stepped out. Mike jolted awake from the sound and turned around. One look at what emerged had Mike rolling on the floor with laughter.  
  
Sulley was dripping wet from head to toe. His fur stuck out at odd angles and where it didn't stick out, it was hanging down or stuck to his skin. Boo peeked her head out from around the door, she was wrapped in towels.   
  
"I'm not sure which one of you was actually in the tub, but it looks like you both got clean." Mike managed to say between giggles. He got up off the floor and led Boo to his bedroom where he had set up some clothes for her. "You stay put," he advised Sulley as he passed him. He returned a few minutes later.  
  
He grabbed a few dry towels out of the hall closet and walked to Sulley. "Now it's your turn." Mike handed one towel to Sulley and used the other to help dry the dripping fur. Sulley worked on the front and the legs while Mike toweled off his back and tail. "What happened in there? Did you fall in?" Mike asked as he dragged his chair over to better reach Sulley's head.   
  
"No, she just splashed a lot." Sulley answered. "You should see the bathroom floor."  
  
"I don't think I want to." Mike finished up and took the towels. He dropped them in a pile in front of the bathroom door, then went to Sulley's room to get his brush. When he came back, he began detangling Sulley's fur. He had often brushed Sulley down before especially after sudden rainstorms. "I thought you detested water," Mike remarked casually as he worked on Sulley's back.  
  
"She is so much fun to be around, Mike, that before you realize it, you are doing things you never thought you would do before." He smiled at a memory. "I'm learning so much from her." His smile turned to a wince of pain as Mike pulled on a tangled patch of fur. "I'm going to miss her when she's gone."  
  
"Are you still planning on letting her parents see you?" Mike worked his way around Sulley's body, smoothing the fur he had just finished with. He wanted to get Sulley done before Boo came out. He had to look nice for what Mike had planned.   
  
"Yes, I am. That is, if I can find them. Every time I go there, the place is deserted. I've tried morning and night. They never seem to go home anymore." He sighed as Mike finally finished and put the brush down. He glanced in the hallway mirror and was glad to see he looked like his old self. "You did a good job, Mike," he complimented. "Will you support my decision this time?"  
  
"Yes, I will. Even if it means banishment, I'll stand beside you." Mike shrugged at Sulley's surprised look. "Hey, can't a guy change his mind?"  
  
"Sure. It means a lot to me, Mike." Sulley turned around as Mike's bedroom door opened and Boo stepped out. She had dressed, and to Sulley's eyes, she looked like a princess. She was wearing a pink dress, with white and gold trim. There were small pink shoes on her feet and gold ribbons in her hair. She looked like she had stepped right out of a fairy tale.  
  
Sulley's jaw dropped open. "Mike... did you?" He spoke in a hushed whisper as if he was afraid of breaking the spell before him.  
  
Mike nodded. "I sure did. It cost me a week's salary, plus I had to call in a bunch of favors to get it made for her, but I think the end result is worth it." He looked over at Sulley. "Yep, the look on your face is priceless."  
  
Tears filled Sulley's eyes as Boo stepped forward and asked to be picked up by raising her arms. Sulley let her climb into his good arm. She hugged him close. "I love you, Kitty."  
  
Those words, spoken in that innocent voice, broke the dam that Sulley had erected around himself for the past week. Mike had to lead him to his chair as the larger monster was now weeping openly. All the frustration, humiliation, pain, and heartbreak he had been repressing now came pouring out. Boo looked at him with a quizzical expression. "No cry, Kitty."  
  
Sulley couldn't help it. He knew that his time with his Boo was going to be up soon. It was only a matter of time before they found her parents and he would have to say goodbye again. She looked so precious right now.   
  
Mike had gone into the kitchen and came back out with a box of tissues. He pulled a few out, climbed the arm of the chair, and proceeded to wipe away the fat tears rolling down Sulley's face. "I didn't mean to make you cry, Sul."  
  
It took a few minutes for Sulley to regain his sense of composure. Slowly his sobs abated. He took a few shuddering breaths before he put Boo down to take some of the tissues Mike was offering him. He blew his nose and sighed tiredly. "It wasn't you, Mike. It was just a combination of things."  
  
Boo climbed back into Sulley's arm when it was free again. "Kitty okay?" She asked worriedly.  
  
He hugged her close. "Yes, Boo. Kitty is okay now."  
  
"Good." She yawned once and rubbed at her eyes, then snuggled close against him. "No like to see Kitty sad."  
  
"Me either." Mike said as he put the tissue box down. He caught Sulley's attention, "Feel better now?"  
  
Sulley took another shuddering breath. "Somewhat." He looked down at Boo, resting comfortably in his embrace. "I want to try her house again today while work is empty."  
  
"Sure. Hey Sul, are you going to be able to handle it when she leaves? The way you fell apart just now has me a bit worried."  
  
"Do I have any other choice? She doesn't belong here with us. Yet having her here has made me realize what I've been missing out on by not getting married and having kids of my own." He bent down and placed a kiss on her freshly washed hair. "However, no child here could ever compare to Boo." He sighed again, a sorrow filled sound. "I guess I'll have to let her go again."  
  
"Maybe you will get lucky and her parents will allow you to see her again." Mike tried to comfort his friend.  
  
"I'm lucky to have this time with her now." Sulley noticed that her breathing had evened out into soft snores. The big breakfast, warm bath and comforting embrace had put her to sleep. "She really is special, you know."  
  
"Yes, she is," Mike agreed. He moved off into the other room.  
  
Sulley sniffed a few times and realized his nose was running. He also realized that he had no hand with which to blow it. "Mike?"  
  
"Yeah, Sul?" Mike called from Sulley's bedroom.  
  
*Sniff* "Can you come here for a second?"  
  
Mike came back into the room carrying a blanket and pillow. "Sure."  
  
"I, uh," *Sniff* "Need some help here." *Sniff*  
  
"Help?" Mike looked confused.  
  
*SNIFF* "Uh, yeah." Sulley looked toward the box of tissues hopefully. "If you don't mind, that is."  
  
"Oh." Mike still looked lost. Then suddenly, "Oohhhhhhh," as comprehension dawned. He put down the blanket and pillow, and took out a few of the tissues from the box. He climbed back up the arm of the chair and held the tissues in front of Sulley's nose. "Blow."  
  
It took a couple of tries before he had his nose clear enough to be able to take a deep breath without sniffing. "Thanks, Mike."  
  
Mike disposed of the used tissues. "That's what friends are for." He came back and picked up the blanket. He covered Sulley and Boo. "Why don't you take a nap while she's sleeping? We can't go anywhere until she awakens." He placed the pillow under Sulley's head.  
  
Sulley yawned. "I shouldn't..."  
  
"You should. I heard you last night, moaning and whimpering in pain. You must have gotten a whole hour of sleep, if even that. You should get some rest while you can." Mike huffed.  
  
Sulley relented. "Okay, okay. I hope I didn't keep you up as well." He snuggled into the pillow. "Just for a little bit."  
  
The last thing he was aware of as he slid into sleep was Boo's soft snores in the one place she felt perfectly safe - Sulley's arm. He relaxed and fell into a deep sleep.  
  
* * * * * 


	11. A surprise and a twist

* * * * *  
  
In the dark of the night, a cricket chirped, setting off others in the area. It was a balmy night, humid yet clear. A quick glance up at the night sky revealed thousands of stars and a sliver of a moon.   
  
He had seen hundreds of moons in his stay. Full-moons, half-moons, sliver-moons. He was tired of moons. He wanted to go home.   
  
When he first had been abandoned on this forsaken world, he had been mistaken for an alligator and clobbered many times over with a shovel. He had managed to escape just barely with his life, he had been bleeding from the many wounds that hard metal device had inflicted on him. He had been lucky to be alive. He escaped into the night, the same night which covered him now.  
  
He no longer looked like his former glorious self, his fronds drooped and he had lost weight. His color had paled, from the rich purple he once sported to a pale lavender that he was now. At first, he had eaten whatever he could find, but most of it didn't sit well with him. Throwing up meals had become a commonplace occurrence.   
  
He learned to stick to simple foods, when he could find them. When he couldn't he just didn't eat at all. That happened more times than he cared to count. He didn't think he could survive here much longer. Not in his current state anyway.  
  
So his hunt had begun. At first he thought getting back would be easy. All he had to do was find a kid's door, wait until that child was to be scared, then walk back into Monster's Inc. Sullivan had done it, so could he. Right? Wrong.  
  
In the first place, he had been banished to the swamps of Florida. There weren't many kids to be found, and those he did find were not scared of monsters or anything. He was pretty sure those kids had their doors shredded already.  
  
In the second place, it seemed that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get back to a city where there would be kids that could be scared. His isolation was complete. It would take many months to travel the required distance. Months in which he would have plenty of time to reflect on his situation.   
  
His thirst for revenge on Sullivan and Wazowski was bright at the beginning. He would imagine torturing or isolating them when he got back. Putting them through some of the situations he now faced. Starving them, drawing blood from many wounds. Even that desire faded with time as he grew to accept his new surroundings. All he ever wanted now was to go home. To get out of this nightmare and back to the Monster world.   
  
It took over five months for him to make his way to the first city. He would travel at night, where he could better blend into the darkness without having to change his form. Changing required energy that he didn't possess. He would hide out and sleep during the day, foraging for food and continuing his trek at night.   
  
The city he found was small, yet it did house a number of small children. Yet after waiting and searching all this time, not a single one of them got scared for the week he stayed in this town. None of them feared bedtime, and most were happy to go to bed.  
  
Sensing that he would not find his way back from this city, Randall moved on. Month after month, city after city. He couldn't find a way back. It seemed that Monsters Inc had ceased production of scream energy. He lost all hope of getting home.  
  
Why had all the scaring stopped? Where was Monstropolis getting its energy from now? These were questions that would appear in Randall's mind from day to day. Kids were not scared. They no longer feared monsters in their closets.  
  
Finally he began to notice a pattern. Laughter at night. Instead of screaming, the kids were laughing. With what strength he had left, he began to investigate.  
  
His timing must have been off. No matter which child he picked, there never was anything coming out of the closet. He would sit, hiding under the window, praying for the door to his world to open.  
  
It never did. Fresh despair filled him tonight. He had been waiting since the sun went down, but this house remained quiet. He was fairly weak today, food had been extremely scarce and he hadn't eaten much.   
  
He wondered if anyone had noticed that he had gone missing. Did anyone even care? Did Sullivan and Wazowski realize the implications of what they had done? How had his absence been explained?  
  
He sighed. It didn't matter. This alien world that tortured him would have to be his home now. He slithered down from his post under the window sill and made his way back to the makeshift shelter that he now occupied. An old hollow log that was abandoned in the nearby woods.  
  
It was small and cramped, he was forced to live like an animal. He kept his food supplies in one end of it, and noticed tonight that he was once again running low. He would have to go foraging in a day or so. He longed so much for his bed, a warm shower and decent food. He had to wash in puddles now, and he probably smelled worse than he looked. He had long ago stopped noticing the little things like hygiene. He was about to turn in for the night, for lack of anything else to do, when he heard it.  
  
Laughter. Very loud and very close by. He would have to move fast or lose his chance. He slipped from his hole and scampered to the nearest house. He slid up the wall to the child's bedroom and peeked in the window.  
  
He caught the barest glimpse of someone entering the closet, a bright light behind them obscured their features. He turned his head to see the child laughing very loudly. Something clicked inside of him as the connection was made. Monsters Inc was using laughter for energy! Homesickness washed over him as the closet door closed.  
  
He had missed his chance. He had seen the old scare floor for about a second or two, and he couldn't get to it. He slid back down the wall and went to the next house. Nothing. He passed another house. Still nothing.   
  
Another house loomed in front of him and he decided to give this one a try as well. The child's window was cracked to let in a breeze. Randall removed the screen and slipped inside.  
  
He had barely been inside for a minute when he heard the sound of the closet door opening. He spun around to find Fungus, the orange monster that had once been his assistant, entering the room with a pair of funny glasses covering his three eyes.  
  
Randall felt his heart leap in joy. He had never been so happy to see anyone in his life. His exile was now over. He nearly wept with relief.  
  
Fungus was about to start his routine by waking the sleeping child when he was knocked down. A familiar form materialized in front of his eyes. "Randall!" he gasped.  
  
Randall managed a weak nod. "Take me back."  
  
Fungus forgot all about what he was supposed to be doing, he half carried Randall through the closet door. The laugh floor he was on was empty, everyone had left already and Fungus was just finishing up.  
  
Once back inside Monsters Inc, Randall bent down and kissed the floor.  
  
"Randall!" Fungus said again as he cut the power to the door. "What are you doing?"  
  
"I have never been so glad to see this place," Randall said as he slumped down at a nearby desk.  
  
"You look terrible. What happened to you?" Fungus discarded the funny glasses in favor of his real ones. He had heard the rumors of Randall's banishment but like everyone else, he didn't believe it.  
  
"It's a long, long story." Randall put his head down as dizziness overtook him.  
  
"Can I get you something?" Fungus nervously asked. Finding Randall had not been on his list of things to do this night.  
  
"Water," Randall whispered. His throat was growing dry now that he was out of the humidity he had grown accustomed to.  
  
Fungus scampered off and returned with a glass of water which he handed to Randall.  
  
Randall took it and gulped the cold sweet tasting liquid down. It had been so long since he had fresh water that he couldn't drink it fast enough. He instantly regretted his mistake and bent over the garbage pail near the desk. He threw up the water and what little food he had eaten that day. "UGH!" He coughed once, then heaved again.  
  
"My goodness!" Fungus gasped. "Are you okay? Should I call for medics?"  
  
Randall took a couple of deep breaths, then wiped one of his hands across his face. He willed his stomach to settle. "No, no. I'll be fine. I just need someplace to rest for a while."  
  
"Well, I guess you could come back to my place for a bit, until we find out what happened to yours." Fungus offered.  
  
Randall simply nodded. "Thanks."  
  
Fungus slid his arm around Randall and they headed off the laugh floor. In less than an hour, Fungus was leading Randall inside his place. "It's kind of small..."  
  
"It's fine." Randall said before he collapsed, weak from hunger, and exhausted from his ordeal.  
  
Fungus dragged Randall to his bed. It took quite a bit of heaving to get the larger monster up, but he finally accomplished it. Now he didn't know what to do. He considered calling Sulley or Mike, to let them know, but decided to wait until he heard Randall's side of the story.  
  
It didn't look like Randall would be talking any time soon. Fungus decided to prepare his place for an extended stay.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Randall opened his eyes to bright light. He couldn't remember where he was at first, and why was it so bright? Then his memory returned. He was back in the Monster world. He was staying with Fungus. He tried to sit up, but was slammed back into the bed from the pain of a fierce headache.  
  
"FUNGUS!" Randall yelled even though doing so caused his head to throb.   
  
Fungus ran in from the other room, nearly tripping over his own feet in the process. "Yes Randall?"  
  
"How long was I sleeping?" Randall felt like his throat was made out of sandpaper, and combined with his headache, he felt worse than he had in months.   
  
"You've been out for three days now." Fungus told him.   
  
"Shouldn't you be at work then?" Randall croaked hoarsely.  
  
Fungus picked up a glass of water from the nightstand. He had brought it in for when Randall awoke. He also slid a trash pail closer just in case. "I called out," he explained as he handed over the glass.   
  
"For three days?" Randall asked as he sipped the water slowly. He wasn't up for a repeat session any more than Fungus was.  
  
The smaller monster shrugged. "I thought you might need me when you awoke." He took the empty glass back. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Terrible." Randall turned on his side to better see Fungus. "Where have you been sleeping seeing how I've got your bed?"  
  
"Um..." he paused, nervously looking around the room. He didn't know why Randall still made him nervous, but the feeling was definitely there. He pointed toward a small pile of blankets on the floor. "Over there."  
  
"Oh." Randall made a noise that sounded between a cough and a grunt. "Sorry."  
  
Fungus waved him off. "Don't concern yourself over it."  
  
"Can you help me to the shower? It seems like forever since I took one." Randall pushed the covers off himself slowly.  
  
"Sure." Fungus held out a hand to better steady Randall as the other monster slowly regained his footing. He escorted him to the bathroom and got the shower running. "If you need any help, I'll be right in the other room."  
  
Randall climbed into the steamy spray and let it wash all over him. It felt so good on his scaly skin. He let out a whimper as it washed over his scars, it tingled and hurt at the same time.  
  
"Randall??" Fungus called into the room, having heard the cry.  
  
"I'm okay." Randall called back. "Just a little unused to the water."  
  
Fungus returned to changing the sheets on the bed. Randall had been right, it had been a while since he had last washed. The odor that was on the sheets was even too much for a monster to bear.   
  
Randall resumed his cleaning. The filth washed off his body and dirt swirled down the drain. He reached for the soap with one of his four hands and used the others to lather himself clean. He could spend hours in here, it felt so good.   
  
He finally ran out of places to wash and turned off the water. When he stepped out, he found towels waiting for him. He had to admit, Fungus was thoughtful. He dried himself off then left the room.   
  
Fungus was sitting nervously on the freshly made bed. He kept licking his lips and trembling slightly.   
  
Randall sighed. "Will you stop shaking around me, I'm not going to hurt you."  
  
"B-but..." Fungus stuttered.  
  
"Do I look in any shape to harm anyone?" Randall asked again. He had taken a good look at himself in the bathroom mirror. He had scars crisscrossing his body in every place. Some were very light, but others were dark. Those had been the deepest ones, the ones that had bled the most.   
  
"W-well you do look better than when I found you." Fungus stated, still shaking a bit.  
  
Randall crossed the room and clasped Fungus by the arms. "I won't hurt you." He felt the other monster relax a bit. "I'm just happy to be back. I just want to get my life back."  
  
Fungus waited until he was released from Randall's grip. "I don't know if you will still have a job at MI..."  
  
"Why not?" Randall narrowed his eyes at Fungus.   
  
"When you disappeared and Waternoose was arrested, we all thought the company was done for." Fungus started to explain.   
  
"Waternoose was arrested?" Randall gasped. "On what grounds?" This bit of news surprised him. He had been counting on Waternoose being in charge.  
  
"Child endangerment I think." Fungus tried to recall the exact details. "Without him the company was going to close, until the idea of using laughter instead of scream came about. In the transition, lots of positions changed around. Assistants now had a chance to go in the rooms too."  
  
"Oh really?" Randall thought this over. "Who decided on these changes if Waternoose was no longer in charge?"   
  
Fungus suddenly wished he was at work, or on another planet rather than sitting right in front of Randall. "Um, well... our new CEO," he managed to squeak out.  
  
"And that would be?" Randall crossed all his arms and waited.   
  
"Sullivan." Fungus said and quickly slid off the bed, trying to escape out the door.  
  
This bit of news caused Randall more than shock. He almost felt faint from the surprise of it. The one person that had banished him now held all the cards. His old thirst for revenge that had once been quenched now burned bright again. Randall recovered from the news pretty fast. He took three steps and caught up to Fungus. "I'm going to need your help."  
  
Now Fungus was shaking again. "W-with w-hat?"  
  
Randall grinned evilly. "Just a bit of a payback that's long overdue." He stroked his chin slowly, his brain already thinking up a scheme.  
  
* * * * * 


End file.
